Clock striking mechanism



(No Model.)

J. L. SULLIVAN.

CLOCK STRIKING MBGHANISM.

No. 370,219. Patented Sept. 20, 1887.

PETERS. Phnm-Lnmgmpber. wqminglm D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OrEicE.

JAMES L. SULLIVAN, OF XENIA, INDIANA.

CLOCK STRIKING MECHANISM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 370.219, datedSeptember-20, 1887,

Application filed April Q0, 1887. Serial No. 235.524. v(No model.)

.To @ZZ whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that I, JAMES L. SULLIVAN', a citizen of the United States,residing atXenia, in the county of Miami and State of Indiana, haveinvented a new and useful Improvement in Striking Mechanisms for Clocks,of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to au improvement in striking mechanisms forclocks; and it consists in the peculiar construction and combination ofdevices, that will be more fully set forth hereinafter, and particularlypointed out in the claim.

In the drawings, Figure l is a front elevation of a clock mechanismprovided with my improvements. Fig. 2 is a detailed elevation of thesame, partly in section. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional viewof the same,taken on the line r c of Fig. 2.

A represents the center or hour shaft of the usual clock-work mechanism,and is provided with the usual arm, B.

C represents the spring-actuated rock-shaf having the depending arm D inthe path of the arm B, and the trip arinE, adapted to raise the latch ordetent F, that controls the rotation of the main wheel G of thehour-striking mechanism.

I-I represents the spring-actuated rock-shaft, having the arm I, bearingagainst one of the tappet-pins K of the gear-wheel L, and the arm M,having the hammer N, to strike the volute-wire gong O every hour.

All of the above is of the usual wellknown construction, and need not bemore fully described here.

The object of my invention is to provide devices for striking thehalfhours and producing a different sound from that' produced by thehour-striking mechanism, so that it can be readily distinguishedtherefrom. This object I accomplish by the mechanism hereinafterdescribed.

a represents a volute cam-wheel, which is xcd to the shaft A, and has aprojecting offset or arm, b, which projects from the shaftin theopposite direction from the said arm B.

c represents a spring-actuated rockshaft, which is similar to therock-.shaft I-I, and is 5o journaled in the sides of the clock-workframe in the usual manner. This rock shaft c has an arm, d, that bearsagainst the periphery of the cam-wheel (L, and a spring-arm, e, having ahammer, f, secured thereto by a set-screw, g.

h represents a gong secured in the clockcase alongside the gong O.

The operation of my invention is as follows: Vhen the shaft A has made acomplete revolution, which it does in an hour, its arm B starts theusual hour-striking mechanism, before described, in motion. NVhile theshaftA is turning, the cam-wheel d is turning` with it, and the hammer fis being gradually moved from the gong h by reason of the arm d bearning on the periphery of the cam. Once every hour-at each half-hournthearm d slips from the offset on the cam, and thereby causes the hammerfto strike the gong 7L once, as will be readily understood, and therebyproduce a sound which has a different tone and is very readilydistinguished from the sound produced by the hour-striking apparatus.

An objection to ordinary striking clock mechanisms which strike thehours and halfhours, but produce the same sounds each time, is that itis difficult to distinguish the hour from the half-hours during theperiod between twelve and two, as only one stroke is made at eachhalf-hour during the said period-one at 12.30, one at l, and one at1.30; hence this is very confusing. I obviate this defect by providingtwo differently-pitched gongs-one for the hour-striking mechanism andone for the half-hourstriking mechanism-thereby rendering the half-hourstrokes easily distinguishable from the hour-strokes.

I do not desire to limit myself to the precise construction andcombination of deviceshereinbefore described, as it is evident thatmodifications may be made therein without depart` ing from the spirit ofmy invention.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- The combination, with thestriking mechanism of a clock having the hammer N and the gong O,adapted to loe struck bythe said hammer, of the hourshaft A, having thearm B, to trip the striking mechanism every hour, and the volute cam a,having the arm b extending in the opposite direction from arm B, thegong IOO h, di'ering in tone from the gong O, the roekown I have heretoaffixed my signature in pres- Shaft c, the arm e, extending therefrom:md ence of two Witnesses. having the hammerf to strike gong h, andthearm d, extending from the upper side of the JAMES L' SULLUTAN' 5rook-shaft and bearing against the periphery Witnesses:

of the volute cam, substantially as described. OLIVER H. P. MACY,

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my JOHN O. FRAME.,

